The Berlinale’s European Film Market (EFM) is launching an Innovation Hub and will present its first distributor award at the next edition in Feb
The Berlinale’s European Film Market (EFM) is launching an Innovation Hub and will present its first distributor award at the next edition in February 2025, the first under novel head Tanja Meissner.
The Innovation Hub will be an entire floor in the Gropius Bau devoted to cutting-edge technologies and AI-based solutions for the international production sector, from screenwriting to distribution. It will feature an exhibitor area, panels and workshops.
The inaugural EFM Distributor Award will be presented for the first time as part of the EFM kick-off event on February 12 and will “recognise the significance of European arthouse distribution and its central contribution to cultural diversity”, according to a statement from EFM.
It comes with a cash prize of €7,500 donated by Fintage House.
EFM will officially run from February 13-19. Organisers said exhibition spaces are already fully booked.
The University of Applied Sciences, near the Gropius Bau, has been added as a novel EFM screening location. The market screenings at CinemaxX will again begin one day earlier on February 12. Other key EFM venues include the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion and Reconciliation as conference venue, as well as the Marriott Hotel, Berliner Freiheit, DFFB, Arsenal and the Mirror Tent.
Further innovations will include daily networking formats such as a breakfast club and a cheerful innovation hour.
The Berlinale Series Market, the EFM platform for series formats, returns for its 11th year and will showcase 15 series. New for 2025 is Reel Time, where buyers can gain an insight into upcoming productions via promo reels.
Another novel addition, as a ‘business hub’, is the African Pavilion in the Marriott Hotel, which will complement the AfroBerlin conference programme. AfroBerlin, organised by the agency Yanibes, returns for two days this year having launched in 2024.
The EFM Industry Sessions will feature masterclasses, case studies, talks and workshops, as well as documentary networking platform DocSalon.
As previously announced, Spain is the country of focus at the EFM for 2025.
“The main focus lies on providing EFM participants with a highly efficient infrastructure and on creating opportunities for business and networking,” said Meissner, who was appointed head of Berlinale Pro in May overseeing the EFM, Berlinale Talents, the Berlinale Co-Production Market and the World Cinema Fund. “I see ourselves as ambassadors and facilitators for the industry to emerge stronger from a dynamic market.”
“While our costs have risen, it was imperative to keep competitive prices for our clients who also work on reduced budgets,” she continued. “While the marketplace for licencing, packaging and distribution is central, we also need to explore sustainable business models, enhanced communication, and the power of community-building to promote diversity, emerging talent and knowledge sharing. Specifically for this purpose we have created daily networking formats, such as the new ‘Breakfast Club’ and the ‘Happy Innovation Hour’ on the second floor of the Gropius Bau.”
Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle added: “A strong Berlinale means getting the market and the audience festival to work more closely in tandem and we are fully committed to developing these synergies over the next years.”
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